END the uncertainty and move forward with the merger of two Cranleigh schools as quickly as possible – that was the plea from some parents this week.

A meeting in the village was told on Wednesday that so far there have been around 50 responses to the consultation over the planned amalgamation of Cranleigh Infant and St Nicolas Schools, with the majority in favour.

Although a few parents continued to question the projected numbers on which the decision has been based, most were more concerned about how their children would be affected.

Kirsty Fleeson is one mother who was originally opposed to the merger, but she told the meeting that she had come round to accepting the move, admitting: “It’s possible that we could have an excellent school.”

She said the major problem now was the uncertainty, adding: “What I do not want is for it to now be delayed – if the decision is ‘yes’ I think the best thing is for it to happen.”

Graham Finlay, the infant school’s finance chairman, agreed, saying: “Uncertainty is difficult, change is difficult – if we can make a decision that the majority are comfortable with it is best to move forward as quickly as possible.”

Wednesday’s meeting was organised – and the consultation period extended until February 5 – following concerns over the way the process had been handled and strong questioning on the statistics used to justify the proposed merger.

Revised figures using additional data that was not originally taken into account showed more children than first forecast would need places at Cranleigh schools.

But county council officials and school governors told the meeting that the variation was not sufficient to change the decision, which is based on viability as a result of the way schools are funded.

Mr Finlay pointed out that its once substantial cash reserves would quickly be exhausted and it would no longer be able to fulfil an Ofsted requirement to keep improving if it remained as a stand alone infant school.

“Our concern is to run this school in a way which keeps all the good things here, which we cannot do if every year we are worrying about every penny we have got,” he said.

Mr Finlay admitted Cranleigh Infant School could survive with an annual single form entry of 27 children, but told the meeting: “Survive is the word rather than thrive. We did not feel it was in the children’s interests to just barely survive.”

Other small infant schools in the area stay open because of “considerable help” from their local communities, said governors’ chairman, Sarah McManus, pointing out that this assistance ran into the “tens of thousands of pounds”.

Some parents have taken a positive stance to the proposed merger, one mother said: “I am excited about the prospect of an all through primary school – it will benefit the community. We need to get behind it.”

Others were concerned about the location of the new school that will be formed as a result of the amalgamation – a new site is the preferred option of parents unhappy at the prospect of their children being educated in the middle of a building site if it is decided to redevelop St Nicolas School.

However, Mrs McManus, said decisions on a head for the new school and where it will be located can only be taken by the temporary governing body (TGB) that will be formed if the merger gets the green light, which is likely to be early in the summer term if there are no delays.